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M&A Blog and News

Pre-Closing Legal Do's & Don'ts

August 17, 2016

I love it when falsehoods and myths are put to rest. In this case, however, it was especially sweet – a lawyer, standing in front of a room full of M&A professionals, blowing up one of the biggest falsehoods in M&A lore – the misinformation and bad practices surrounding the legal do’s and don’ts of pre-closing integration planning. I wanted to stand up and applaud, but this is even better.

"Start now, as you can't afford to wait ... there's far more you can work on pre-close than what you can't work on."

Software Tools Drive Increased M&A Success

August 10, 2016

For years now, we have advocated the importance of focusing on speed, synergies and stabilizing the business, and core stakeholder groups as mission critical elements of integration success. Prior blog posts including The S-3 Integration Model and S-3: Stabilize the Business explore these topics in more detail.

"Are You My Boss?"

August 2, 2016

Those words in a big, bold font literally jumped out at me from the bright yellow lapel buttons in the town hall meeting. There were dozens of them, and probably dozens more posted in cubicles throughout the building. That phrase, “Are you my boss?” was now, officially, a flashpoint of the worst sort.

Phase-Specific People Issues That Can Erode Value

July 24, 2016

Chairman's Message, July 2016
By Jim Jeffries, Chairman, M&A Leadership Council

In our “Art of M&A for HR Leaders” programs, Willis Towers Watson headlines the training content presented by seasoned executives.  This large, global organization is expert in the people issues that relate to value creation or erosion in mergers and acquisitions. Here are some people-related ...

Cross-Border M&A Index – Q2 2016

July 24, 2016

Hesitancy Persists as M&A Markets Remain Volatile in Q2 2016
Contributed by Baker & McKenzie and Mergermarket, Partners of M&A Leadership Council

Headwinds that began to slow the progress of cross-border M&A in Q1 2016 continued to strengthen. Hesitancy persisted as global markets remained volatile: China’s slowdown showed no signs of abating; oil prices were still down despite recovering some ground; and political uncertainty....

Brief Video: What to Keep in Mind When Executing Integration Strategy

July 24, 2016

Language, Clarity and Focus on Milestones are Critical
Contributed by Willis Towers Watson, a Partner of M&A Leadership Council

What should deal makers keep in mind when executing their integration strategy after closing an M&A transaction? For one thing: Be deliberate about the type of language you use to describe the deal. In this brief video, we share more tips for integration leaders...

The Operation was a Success, but the Patient Died!

July 24, 2016

Lesson Learned: Stabilize-Integrate-Optimize
By Jack Prouty, President, M&A Leadership Council

The following is a true story, based on my experiences with a client that I worked with over a decade ago. The lesson here highlights the phrase we often reiterate in “The Art of M&A Integration” workshop: Stabilize-Integrate-Optimize...

The “True North” of Culture

July 24, 2016

Defining Specific Attributes That Can Drive Higher-Performance Results
By Mark Herndon, President, M&A Partners

It’s time to talk about the “True North” of culture, those foundational values, beliefs and behaviors you must understand and embed in your organization if you want to drive high-performance results. Components included in the final bedrock level of our Cultural Iceberg model...